What's Up at the Wheat City Journal?

Over the years when I worked at Westman Recycling, I always enjoyed being interviewed by Kyla Henderson at the Wheat City Journal. She was very interested in the environment, and wrote a number of positive articles. She also wrote a very sympathetic A Sad Day for Westman Recycling when our facility closed in February, 2006.

She had been recently promoted, but then seemed to mysteriously disappear. I sent the paper the following "Letter to the Editor." (The newspaper has not acknowledged my letter to them.)

Where's Kyla?

What happened to Kyla Henderson?

For five years, readers of the Wheat City Journal have been treated to the writing of Kyla Henderson. Whenever I was interviewed by her, I was always impressed by her friendliness, enthusiasm, and professionalism. I'm sure readers enjoyed Kyla's column where we learned of her personal life, including her marriage, change of name, new house, garden, the dogs, and more.

I'm also sure many congratulated her on her promotion to "News Editor." We read Kyla's first column in the new role, of her taking a "deep breath" as she faced the challenge of filling the big shoes of her former boss, Bruce Penton.

Then, with the July 12th issue of the paper, Kyla Henderson simply vanished. Her picture had been erased from the masthead showing those who put out the publication. A new editor's picture was there now, with a new name and face on the Editor's page four column. But to have someone as central as Kyla just disappear with no explanation shows disrespect to readers who get to know the people of a community newspaper.

Ironically, the new Editor's column was titled "Same Face - New Day." It may be a "New Day" at the Journal, but it is not the "Same Face," is it?

Wherever Kyla Henderson is now, I'm sure that Wheat City Journal readers would join me in thanking her for her past work and wishing her well in the future.